Refrigerating apparatus



April 18, 1933. ,E E, ALLYNE 1,904,597

REFR I GERATI NG APPARATUS NNNNNN OR EMU/V0 1444 Y/VE ATTORNEYS April 18, 1933.

E. E. ALLYNE 1,904,597

REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed March 6, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS ,Patented Apr. 18, 1933 PATENT OFFICE EDMUND E. ALLm, OF LANTANA, YIE'IZrOIRIDA REFBIGERATING .APLPABATUS Application led Iaroh 6, 1981. Serial No. 520,53@

The invention disclosed in this case relates to refrigerating apparatus and particularly to a refrigerating unit structure utilized in the refrigerating compartment of such apparatus.

The object of the invention is to control the temperature in the cooling compartment by enclosing a refrigerating unit in a casing or freezing compartment Vwithin the cooling chamber, and to so regulate the circulation of air between the cooling chamber and the refrigerating compartment so that ice cubes, on the one hand, are held in the ideal frozen condition, and the cooling chamber is maintained at its proper temperature.

1n addition to the foregoing, it is an object of the invention to utilize a minimum sized evaporator or refrigerating element and to provide in thermal relation therewith heat transferring members which also serve as a means for supporting ice trays. This arrangement has a number of distinct advantages, one being that there is great economy in production and manufacture as well as in the quantity of ammonia or other refrigerant necessary to produce the proper functioning of the apparatus. lAnother is that a minimum sized evaporator, such as a single loop or grid, so reduces the size of the actual 3@ freezing unit that the temperature does not reach such a low degree within the cooling chamber but what it may be readily controlled within the useful ranges of temperature. Furthermore, it renders it possible to hang the ice tray supports on loop or grid out of contact with the casing, thus utilizing inexpensive supports as a refrigerating element and thereby lending to a better regulation of the temperature of the box. This 4.0 arrangement alsopermits the tray supporting devices to be made readily removable, which tends to ease of cleaning and a sanitary construction. The use of a minimum sized refrigerating element also permits the casing or housing of the refrigerating element to be made of relatively thin gauge enameled metal and at the same time prevents too great an absorption of heat and the production of undesirable low tempera- 5 tures in the box.

Another feature of the invention is the utilization of a hairpin or U-shaped evaporator or refrigerating element and an increase in its effectiveness in the larger sizes of boxes by promoting the circulation in the '55 element by cross connection of the legs at the front.

Other features of invention will be brought out in the following description, drawings and claims: o

Referring to the drawings, Fig. 1 shows a box provided with the invention disclosed herein; Fig. 2 is an enlarged portion of the upper corner showing the arrangement of the storage and the ice compartment; Fig. 3 05 is an enlarged view of a portion of the box, showing the ice compartment in vertical section; Fig. 4 is a detail view of the hairpin or U-shaped evaporator or the refrigerating unit; Fig. 5 is a similar view showing the 70 cross connected arms at the front end; and Fig. 6 is still another form of evaporator or refrigerating unit.

'fn the drawings. 1 represents the casing of a refrigerating cabinet having arefrigerating or cooling chamber 2 and an upper enlarged insulating body 3, in a cavity of which may be arranged a refrigerant storage 4, .where absorption refrigerating apparatus is employed.

Communicating with this storage 4, or with any other source of refrigerant supply, is a refrigerating element which may be of the form shown in Fig. 4, where it comprises two side arms 5 and a rear connecting por- 35 tion 6. This connecting portion communicates by a pipe 7 with the refrigerantfsupply or with the storage 4. Where absorption refrigerating apparatus is employed, a suitable absorbent drain 8 communicates with 9 the bottom of the refrigerating element.

The refrigerating element in some installationsgmay be provided with va transverse forward connection indicated at 9 and this connection may communicate by pipe 10 with 95 l ably rectangular loop formed with the front l may be ver end connected by a cross piece 11 in the same plane as the loop.

Surrounding the refrigerating element is a freezing chamber casing 12in the form of a box which, with the refrigerating element, nicely arranged in one upper. corner. This box has a door opening at the front and a. suitable o ening 13 in its'back, for receiving the refrigerating element, so that it may project into the box. It also has an upper Ventilating opening 14 anda lower air inlet 15 extendiny through its bottom. The passage of air trough this opening is controlled b a butterfly damper 16 manipulated by a t ermostatic device 17 arranged upon the bottom of the casing 12. The door opening of the freezing compartment is closed by a suitable door 18.

, In order to increase heat absorption the refrigerating element is provided with heat absorbino` members or fins which may very readily orm supports for the ice trays. These supports comprise a lower supporting portion consisting of side walls 19 provid# ed with a Hat top 20, adapted to hang upon the refrigerating element, and lower inwardly extending flanges 21 at the bottom for receiving the rim 22 of a lower ice tray 23. Suitable shelves 24 with upstandind ribs 25 may be rovided between the side walls 19 Vfor supportmg other trays, as indicated at`26 and 27. These trays are in thermal contact with the lower supporting portion and through it with the refrigeratmg element. Extending above the lower support is an upper supporting portion comprising side members 28, which receive a large ice pan, indicated at 29. This pan is bulged outwardly to form side ridges 30 for receiving an upper ice pan 31 where such is desirable. Here again, the upper supporting portion is in thermal contact with the pans and with the lower support and with the refrigerating element by outwardly turned flanges 32 at the bottom. l

I The various parts of the support being in heat transfer relation with the refrigerating element increase the heat absorbing area of this refrigerating element and not only serve to freeze the ice cubes but also absorb heat from the air passing through this freezing chamber. f

In operation, assuming that the refrigerating element itself is frosted by a supply of re rigerant, the water in the trays is frozen to ice cubes and as the temperature rises in -the cooling compartment, the butterlly damper is opened and the heat from this compartment is absorbed from the air which is allowed to circulate from the cooling compartment through the freezing compartment ment enlarged, it also shows a modified form of heat absorbing and tray supporting devices. In this view the lower heat absorbing and tray supporting device is in the form of a casing open at the front, top and back and comprising side walls 33 provided with inwardlyextending beads 34,which form supporting ledges for the rims of the trays. The upper edges of these side portions are curved inwardly in curved flanges 35, in a manner similar to the arrangement shown in Fig. 2 and these iianges nest around and engage the side arms of the refrigerating element 5. Bent from the metal of these flanges are upwardly extending lugs 36, adapted to engage the sides of the upper tray 37 and hold its bottom in contact with the lianges 35. This heat absorbing device is of sheet metal, preferably of a good heat conductor, such as copper, aluminum or the like and it serves to absorb from the air circulated through the freezing compartment and transmit this heat to the refrigerating element 5.

Having described my invention, I claim: 1. Refrigerating apparatus, comprising a cabinet having a refrigerating compartment,

an vaporator member therein having parallelcon-duit members in substantially the same horizontal plane, tray supporting means carried by said conduit members and comprising a sheet metal casing having parallel vertical side walls provided with tray supporttical side walls bent at intervals to forml pairs of oppositely disposed tray supporting ribs at different levels and provided at their upper portions with laterally extending members removably resting upon and in thermal contact with said conduit members and above thel same with upwardly extending upper tray confiningrmembers, whereby said casing is adapted both to support trays below and above said conduit members and to conduct heat to said conduit members.

3. Refrigerating apparatus' including a cabinet having a'refrigerating compartment, an evaporator element therein #comprising spacedl horizontal and parallel conduits, a metal casing hung entirely from sai-d spaced conduits and tray holding means formed in said casing.

4. In a refrigerating apparatus, a cabinet having a refrigerating compartment, a horizontal U-shaped pipe evaporator therein, and

a depending metal heat absorbing container suspended therefrom and in thermal contact with said U-shaped evaporator.

5. In a refrigeratingapparatus, a cabinet having a refrigerating compartment, an evaporator element comprising spaced horizontal conduits therein and a heat absorber in the form of a tray holder suspended solely by said spaced conduits.

6. In a refrigerator, the combination of an evaporator having spaced horizontal and parallel conduits, and a heat absorber consisting of a steadily removable hollow metallic box supported by and suspended from said conduits.

7 In a refrigerator, the combination of 'an evaporator having spaced horizontal and parallel conduits, and a heat absorber consisting of a hollow metal box, the side walls of which are supported by and suspended from said spaced conduits, the interior of the hollow box being adapted to support a plurality of ice trays.

8. In a refrigerator cooling unit, the combination of a continuous pipe evaporator lying in a horizontal plane, a heat absorbing element removably affixed thereto and suspended therefrom comprising a box-like structure, the side walls of which are extended upwardly and inturned forming hook members engaging said pipe evaporator.

9. In a refrigerator cooling unit, a single conduit evaporator and a heat absorbing container adapted to frictionally engage and be 4 suspended from said single conduit.

10. A cooling unit for mechanical refrigerators including spaced parallel and horizontal evaporation conduits, a metallic heat absorbing casing suspended from and in removable frictional yengagement with said spaced evaporator conduits.

In testimony whereof I hereby aix my signature.

. EDMUND E. ALLYNE. 

